Passing the baton from one relationship partner to the next – law department approval

Law firms, facing the retirement or career slow down of a relationship partner to a major client, give thought to grooming a successor, but do they plan for that eventuality jointly with the client law department? Probably not.

Chemistry and trust and long-familiarity have a tenuousness, a personal adhesion, that makes the baton pass problematic. If the client is running the race with the firm, however, a smooth transfer is more likely.